Sky Rock

Sky Rock is a natural landmark that warns travelers when they are coming near to the Black Gulf, a deadly place. The rock is the shade of the midday sky at night, and is the same color as the midnight sky at day. At twilight and dawn the rock is the same shade as the sky.

Purpose / Function

Sky Rock was created by a great magician a long, long time ago. It was placed near the Black Chasm to warn travelers of the dangerous area ahead. As the Black Gulf is on the borders of the land of Terra, it is often used as a lookout point, as it is placed very high in the sky. From Sky Rock, also known as Lookout Rock and Blue Rock, you can see the volcano Visk, home to the fearsome dragon Kogan. However, the Black Gulf is a far more dangerous place than Visk, home to all manner of nightmare beasts and the source of many horrifying stories best left untold. If an adventurer ever wanders into the Gulf, he may not come back out, or if he does, he is no longer a man, but a pale shadow of a being, plagued forever after by the memories of his trip.

Alterations

Sky Rock was originally a bright red, but this misled travelers to believe it was made of redstone, and thus they did not heed it as a warning, but as an interesting natural phenomena. Due to this, the rock was nothing more than a curiosity, and did not serve its purpose. The great magician who created Sky Rock destroyed it, and built a new one out of a blue magical substance, which enabled him to enchant it easier. He cast a spell over it, so that all who saw it knew it to be a warning to go no further. If the warning was left unheeded, they would be overcome with fear, and turn back. However, not every traveler to pass near the Black Gulf saw the rock, and so some adventurers still disappear into its depths.

Architecture

Sky Rock was created as a sharp overhang on top of a cliff, which happened to be near the Black Gulf. Some say the cliff was also created by the sorcerer who created Sky Rock, but this is unproven and not based upon any facts. It is shiny, and smooth everywhere except the top of the rock. There is a tall, thin raised surface around the top of the rock, almost like a small railing, which makes it rather safe to stand on Sky Rock. The rock is almost translucent, if the sun or moon is shining at the right angle. The sorcerer who created Sky Rock also built a set of stairs into the side of the cliff, so you can go up to stairs and be right beside the rock, instead of having to climb the cliff and then walk over the flat top to Sky Rock. The stairs are made of limestone, and Sky Rock is made of Lapis Lazuli, which the sorcerer enchanted to have some strange magical properties.

History

Sky Rock was created so long ago that nobody, not even the oldest, most distinguished scholar, knows when it was made. The name of its creator, a great and powerful magician, is also lost in the depths of time, although some believe it to be Onneas, a magician thought to have been more powerful than even Merlin ever was. In the distant history of Erce, Onneas was a powerful influence. He was raised as a poor peasant, but managed to collect enough funds to go to wizard school. Once there, his magic developed extremely well, and he became one of the greatest, most influential wizards ever to have been. It was said that he taught Merlin, although this is not widely believed. He unified the land of Terra, which was without a king, and installed a young, yet wise, king upon the throne. Onneas was the advisor to a long line of kings, and lived for so long some believed him to be an elf or half-elf. He is a legend, and his tale is passed down from generation to generation. The greatest magicians of Erce are said to be his descendants, and every now and then a peasant who has become a wizard is said to be of Onneas's line.

Alternative Names

Blue Rock, Lookout Rock

Type

Geographic Feature